Expedia vs. Travel Agent

[lizzieqball]

Hello Ladies,

 

My fiance and I are planning a January 2014 wedding at Moon Palace.  We spoke to a wedding coordinator at the resort and are ready to sign our contract.  They have group package incentives (i.e. free cocktail hour, private events) if you meet the minimum number of room nights.  We received a quote from our travel agent and also from the hotel and it seems SOOOO much more than the package deals on Expedia/Travelocity.  If our group books through these sites then it doesn't count towards the minimum.  I can't imagine asking our friends to pay that much more just for a few incentives.  Am I missing something?  Has anyone else encountered this and found a loophole?

 

Thank you!

 

L

[Yazmin De La Mora]

Originally Posted by lizzieqball 

 

Hello Ladies,

 

My fiance and I are planning a January 2014 wedding at Moon Palace.  We spoke to a wedding coordinator at the resort and are ready to sign our contract.  They have group package incentives (i.e. free cocktail hour, private events) if you meet the minimum number of room nights.  We received a quote from our travel agent and also from the hotel and it seems SOOOO much more than the package deals on Expedia/Travelocity.  If our group books through these sites then it doesn't count towards the minimum.  I can't imagine asking our friends to pay that much more just for a few incentives.  Am I missing something?  Has anyone else encountered this and found a loophole?

 

Thank you!

 

L

Hi Lizzie,

If you deal and booked directly with the hotel you are getting all benefits and you are the hotel's directly customer.  If you book directly from Tarvelocity or a Travel Agent they will become their main client and will get most of the benefits.

 

I know prices might be more expensive but you can always talk to the hotel and try to get the same prices that the travel agency or travelocity are offering.

 

Also you have to consider that in case they have oversales the guests that are booked directly through the hotel will remain at the hotel, while the others guests might be sent to another hotels... that will be an extreme example but it is just an example.

 

My suggestion will be to talk to the hotel and if they can not offer the same prices that the other companies offers, then you might have to quit to all the benefits that the hotel is offering to you and ask your guests to book through your travel agency or travelocity.

 

The main difference between a travel agency vs travelocity is that through the travel agency you are getting service.

 

Hope it helps and happy planning!

[AllieH]

another thing to think about - when booking deeply discounted rooms, it's highly unlikely you will get the nicest rooms available, any upgrades, etc. the discounts are used to fill rooms, so someone who pays a higher price will get priority/preferential treatment vs. the discount room guest. 

 

I would ask your travel agent or the WC about lower rates based on what you're seeing published elsewhere. maybe the resort themselves are running a special (and do your own research too about incentives/group rates).